The Spice Kitchen

4.2

This is an Indian, Thai and Indian-Chinese restaurant where age-old Hakka recipes are blended with Indian spices which allow them to take their dishes to newer heights. This blending resulted in Indian-Chinese cuisine. The authenticity, the recipes and cuisine quality is ensured by bringing in top-class chefs from India. It is believed that The Spice Kitchen is one of its kind in Malaysia, featuring huge Oriental wooden cabinets and colourful, designer seats.

What waits at The Spice Kitchen are exotic preparations, grilled to succulence and marinated to perfection. The culinary journey gets completed by a variety of Kebabs, Dals, Chutneys and Biriyanis, complicated by a handful of fine cuisine.

Rustic Interior

The Indian restaurant has well furnished interior along with high ceiling consisting ductwork. It has a modern and edgy appeal with brick styled wall which gives it a rustic look. Each table can accommodate 4-5 people comfortably with 3 chair options; namely, metal, non-metal and sofa type.

Chef Demo

Here you get to witness the visual treat that the chefs put in front of them amidst a tasteful ambience and plush interiors.

The chefs bring their years of experience in preparing a range of dishes for the guest including locals and foreigners. They are well aware of the cooking techniques to ensure the authenticity of the taste and no compromise on quality.

Delectable Cuisine

As a popular dish from North India, it is served in shape of lollipops and tastes sweet and tangy. The chicken is garnished with spring onions and carrot slice. Trying this dish as a starter is recommended.

Chicken Lollipop….RM12.99

The tandoor oven roasted dish comes with four nuggets each plate. It is light on oils and spices and can be enjoyed more freely by chewing slowly with your favorite drink.

SK Chicken Tikka….RM13.99

With the cripsy coating, this Indian Chinese appetizer is tantalizing and better suited to the vegetarian diners.

Dry Cauliflower Manchurian….RM11.99

Hot and Sour Soup….RM4.99
Hot and sour soup can be ideal for a small munch. The soup is thick and includes ingredients such as onions, mushrooms, pepper, and tofu.

Chilli Eggplant….RM9.99
It is also referred as spicy eggplant. The vegetarian dish is spicy but the proportion of spice can be lowered if requested.

Vegetable Korma….RM10.99
The mixed vegetable dish can be taken with rice, chapattis, parathas or pulao. It primarily contains vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, corn, potatoes, beans and baby corns. The curry dish is mildly spiced and using dry kashmiri chilies gives it a red color formation.

Palak Paneer….RM14.99
The preparations consists of soft paneer pieces cooked with spinach curry. Spinach lovers should like it more than anything else for its health value.

Pagla Lamb Bhuna….RM22.99
The mutton curry can be a bit spicy and may not be preferable for the eaters who have a delicate stomach. Meat being cooked in its own juices gives it a unique flavor.

Chicken Butter Masala….RM14.99
It is also referred as butter chicken or murg makhani. Having it with chapattis, naan or rice could be the best way to have an ideal non-vegetarian dining experience. The gravy is thickened with sauces and other ingredients. It tastes best when served hot.

Hydrabadi Lamb Biryani….RM21.99
Biryani lovers may get a taste of heaven when they taste the authentic hydrabadi biryani offered here. There is a blend of chops, marrowbone and shoulder pieces available.

Garlic Naan….RM4.99
The garlic naan is soft as opposed to its chewy and hard appearance.

Mango Kulfi….RM8.99
Mango lovers should embrace the dish with their taste buds to give them some respite on summers. One of the most popular Indian dessert it has milk, yoghurt, thickening agents and mangoes as the prime ingredients.

Interview with Muru, the CEO

Q1. From cooking to restaurant management, you know the ins and outs of the food industry. When did you discover your passion for food?

Muru: I discovered I had a passion for food at the age of 19, this industry is not only based around food but also includes meeting new people every day. It gives me great pleasure to serve different people and see them leave my restaurant happy. Food is something we need to survive so I know that everyone looks for good food which we offer in all of our restaurants.

Q2. You know what is value for money and you have raised the standard of JB dining sector. What is your ambition and vision in your own food business?

Muru: Our vision is to be the top restaurant group in Johor Bahru, offering good service, value for money, and a good ambiance. We are always thinking of fresh ideas and trying to keep our concept alive at every moment.

Q3. Can you tell us more about your loyalty program and how important it is to your restaurant chain?

Muru: Becoming a DCG member will entitle the card holder to exclusive privileges and rewards, the membership card is RM 200 and is valid for 2 years, and you receive a RM 100 voucher to use on your next visit along with a 50% off voucher to use on your birthday and a further RM 500 voucher to use on events. Alongside this you will receive a percentage off every time you dine in one of our restaurants. The loyalty card is important to us as this is a way to engage with all our guests and let them know we appreciate their custom.

Q4. Within just a few years, you have opened up 3 restaurants (the other two are The Marco Polo Kitchen and Bob’s Kitchen) in totally different concepts and 2 more are in the pipeline. Sometimes expanding too fast comes at the expense of the food quality. How do you keep the balance?

Muru: We believe in hiring the right people to work for us, expectations are very high at the same time we offer an attractive benefit package. Quality of food and service is checked on a daily basis plus we also operate on an open door policy whereby guests can reach out to management and discuss their experience or any issues that they may have. We take feedback positively and see this as a way of improving our standards along with taking immediate action. By doing this the team are aware that we take these matters seriously and strict consequences occur if procedures are not followed. This also applies to all the key people. We focus on training and development and reward deserving staff with incentives and promotions. When staff are treated fairly the output is greater therefore preventing any mishaps.

Q5. Much of your time is spent on running the business. When you are not working, what do you do in your leisure time?

Muru: Hunting for good restaurants to dine in, watching movies in my home theatre, listening to music and reading interior design books.

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